Tag Archives: 3PYR

It’s been just over 2 weeks since our bold and brave Go Ape team conquered the gruelling Three Peaks Yacht Race (3PYR). They endured a whopping 389 miles of sailing, 72 miles of running and 18 miles of cycling, which they completed in four days and 16 hours. Bravo!

Through the trials and tribulations (particularly the extreme weather conditions and boat engine trouble), the team still managed to bag a top ten spot. And when we asked Jerome if he’d do it again, he replied without hesitation, “Without a shadow of a doubt.”

All members signed-up for the race because they wanted to challenge themselves and test their true potential, and it required months of preparation and dedication. But there was also another reason why they were embarking on this monumental adventure: to raise money for a great cause.

So far, over £6,000 has been raised for the Outward Bound Trust; a charity that helps young people from all walks of life by running adventurous and challenging outdoor learning programmes that equip them with valuable skills for education, work and life. Our target is £10,000 – and you can help us to reach it by donating via our Virgin Money Giving page!

Anyway, enough about us. How about you? Have you always fancied taking part in an adventurous sporting challenge, but never taken the next step? Well, let us help! There are tonnes of events across the UK that you can get involved in and raise some money for your charity of choice. Here are just some of them:

Hercules was a mythical Greek Hero; and you can expect to feel pretty heroic after completing this mammoth challenge. The event takes place in the mystical surroundings of the Long Mynd, a heath and moorland plateau which forms part of the Shropshire Hills. Entrants have to complete as many of the 12 Labours as possible – but whereas Hercules had 12 years in which to do so, you’ve got just 24 hours. This wins our vote for the most imaginative event!

Walk, jog, run – it’s your choice. The South Coast Challenge route encompasses some truly stunning scenery, from the chalk headlands of Beachy Head in East Sussex, to the Seven Sister Country Park river valley and legendary Devils Dyke. You can opt to go the whole hog and cover 100km, but there are also half and ¼ options available.

You’ll need to ditch the Speedos in favour of a full-bodied wetsuit for this one – an open water swim in Berkshire’s Dorney Lake, which was used for the 2012 Olympics. This one’s suitable for all ages and abilities, with distances ranging from 740km to 10km. Don’t worry about bringing your own swim cap along, as all participants are given one before they dive in!

Keen cyclist? Then check out this challenge: an epic 140 mile ride starting from the Cumbrian cost and cruising all the way to the North Sea. Of course, when we say ‘cruising,’ we mean pedalling frantically to try and bag a top spot. The route crosses the northern edge Lake District, climbs the northern Pennines and follows the fringes of Hadrian’s Wall. Prepare for serious calf ache as you climb the hills in the Eden Valley – and enjoy the descents!

We like the ethos behind this one – ‘It’s not about how fast you can cross the finish line. Rather, it’s a challenge that emphasises teamwork, camaraderie, and accomplishing something almost as tough as you are.’

Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to test your physical and mental strength. It’s like an extreme version of a Tree Top Adventure, with a good dollop of the brown stuff (mud, that is…).

It’s official, our Go Ape team has conquered the Three Peaks Yacht Race!

After setting sail last Saturday (11th June) the team has been battling their way against their fellow competitors, the elements and shall we say, a few technical troubles…all to cross the finish line at 6:30am this morning.

The monumental journey encompassed 389 miles of sailing, 72 miles of running and 18 miles of cycling and took our tremendous tribe approx. four days and 16 hours to complete.

We’re amazingly proud of Jerome Mayhew, Paul Love-Williams and Tris Mayhew for successfully sailing 62 sea miles from Barmouth to Caernarfon, 100 sea miles from Caernarfon to Whitehaven and a further staggering 227 sea miles from Whitehaven to Fort William – as well a few stops in between.

Not stopping at a broken impeller drive the crew also had to get creative once again after the yacht exhaust melted before coming into Whitehaven.

The kindness of strangers at the port meant the crew could continue after ‘borrowing’ some flexible piping. By cutting off the melted in/out section of piping and ingeniously gaffer-taping new sections together, coupled with a bit of lubrication from some washing up liquid the team was ready to set of again in search of adventure (and the next team to beat).

Coming out of Whitehaven the team made great progress hurling along against the current for four hours straight. On four occasions the rudder lost its grip keeping the crew on their toes. Yet, against the unseasonably brisk June winds, the yacht averaged around 14 knots, a solid speed for a 30ft boat!

Let’s not forget the other heroes from one of the UK’s toughest endurance races, the devoted runners, Ed Smith and Mick Rimmer.

We have been in awe of their perseverance as they’ve charged up the three highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland. The stalwart runners not only had to experience hours upon hours of rumbling around in the cabin whilst at sea (an encounter I’m told that is much like spinning around in a washing machine!), they also had to adapt to ever-changing timescales, which meant running through the night…

Arriving at the final peak, Ben Nevis, at around midnight Ed and Mick ran through the early hours to cross the finish line at 6:30am, much to the joy of the team and everyone at Go Ape. Combining the distance of Mt. Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis their running efforts equated to running three marathons in as many days across some of the trickiest terrain the UK has to offer.

Now we patiently wait for the Three Peaks Yacht Race to officially announce the positions for the finalists. A superb achievement by a team that truly eats, sleeps and breathes the Go Ape way of life.

After speaking with a, quite rightfully, elated Jerome Mayhew, here’s a few words from the Skipper himself:

It was an intense, amazing experience – we just had to keep going! Our competitors were world-class and whilst we’re a fairly novice team in comparison we couldn’t be more delighted with the result. Some moments were incredibly challenging but when things go wrong you just have to turn I can’t into I can, and that’s what we did.

On asking whether Jerome would do it all again:

Without a shadow of a doubt.

Of course the team were racing for more than just the challenge, they were racing to help raise money for the Outward Bound Trust.

Your support will help change the life of a young person from a disadvantaged background. For every £200 raised, another young person is able to experience the challenge of an Outward Bound course. To find out more about the trust, visit https://www.outwardbound.org.uk/.

Please donate to support the tribe as they embark on one of toughest adventure races, just head to our Virgin Money Giving page.

We’ll be keeping the blog updated with first-hand tales from the race, including how they coped with 37.9 knot gales! Perhaps we’ll give them the weekend to recover first…

The finish line is well and truly nigh for our Three Peaks Yacht Race team, who have successfully sailed, cycled and run their way into the top ten in the final leg of the race!

It’s been a challenging week for the Go Ape team who have embodied the very essence of living life adventurously as they’ve made their way north from Barmouth. Demanding weather coupled with engine trouble delayed their journey and led to some very lateral thinking from the team.

Do you know what a broken impeller drive is? No, neither did we, that was until we saw the damage one can cause to an engine! Check out the photo below:

In our leafy world lashings of rope and wire is usually the answer, but the crew had to get a little more ‘technical’…

Fear not, since fixing the engine the team has made a triumphant leap from 12th place to battling it out with some of the UK’s finest endurance race teams within the top ten. With the highest peaks of Wales and England conquered, their journey up the West Coast continues towards Corpach, where the mighty summit of Ben Nevis awaits them.

We’ll be bringing you live updates via Twitter and Facebook – keep following @GoApeTribe for the latest news. Or you can keep an eye on the teams progress via the Three Peaks Yacht Race website here.

The Three Peaks Yacht Race isn’t just for endurance race kudos, the Go Ape team are racing to raise money for a great cause – the Outward Bound Trust.

For every £200 raised, another young person from a disadvantaged background is able to experience the challenge of an Outward Bound course with potentially life changing results. To find out more about the trust, visit https://www.outwardbound.org.uk/.

Please donate to support the tribe as they embark on one of toughest adventure races, just head to our Virgin Money Giving page.

After months of training, it’s finally here

The Three Peaks Yachts Race (3PYR) has began, and our team’s adventure is starting to unfold on the sea and up in the peaks.

For those of you who are just starting to follow the story, here’s what the 3PYR is:

389 miles of sailing. 72 miles of running. 18 miles of cycling. The 3PYR is one of the oldest, longest and toughest multi-sport endurance races in the world. Held once a year, it sees competitors battling the elements as they race up the UK’s coast, starting from Barmouth and finishing in Fort William.

We’re sure you’ll all agree, it’s quite something.

Jerome on the adventure so far:

“It’s now 2.30 am and the runners have been going for an hour. We had a great sail to Caernarfon finishing 7th which is amazing. The problems started when we turned the engine on to motor to the landing jetty. A crucial part of the engine disintegrated – smoke and alarms everywhere. We had to brush off our ferry gliding skills to land the runners against a 2 knot current with me rowing hard at the back.

Drifting away without power we banked everything on the anchor holding, which it did. Broken parts removed and taken ashore to find repairs that will meet us at Whitehaven…which means the Menai Straights for the first time without an engine. It was all going so well”.

Keep a close eye on @JeromeMayhew via Twitter to hear direct from our M.D on the team’s adventure.

Here’s the latest from the tribe:

We’ve got everything crossed that the team get back on track. After all, an adventure isn’t always easy – and that’s part of the fun of it.

Raising money for a great cause

The Go Ape team are racing to raise money to help support the Outward Bound Trust. For every £200 raised, another young person from a disadvantaged background is able to experience the challenge of an Outward Bound course with potentially life changing results. To find out more about the trust, visit https://www.outwardbound.org.uk/.

If you want to donate to support the tribe as they embark on one of toughest adventure races, just head to our Virgin Money Giving page.